Best Train Sim World Routes (2026): 15 Picks - Game Scout

Southeastern Highspeed is the route most often handed to a new player. Fly Away Simulation calls it the safest first purchase because the included passenger work covers both high speed and conventional running, and it won the Dovetail forum's TSW 3 poll with 111 votes, 65.3% of voters.

In a Steam Community thread from a first-time player asking where to start, the replies point the same way: one recommends modern high speed trains because they have more automation, and another recommends modern German electric trains for the same reason. From the table, that describes three routes:

• Southeastern Highspeed, with the Class 395 and two commuter units.
• Schnellfahrstrecke Köln - Aachen Remastered, with the ICE 3M, at $29.99.
• West Coast Main Line Trent Valley, with the Class 807 Evero. One Steam reviewer reports it runs well on a mid-range gaming laptop.

If price matters most, Great Western Express Remastered is $29.99 and holds a Mostly Positive summary from 31 Steam reviews.

Sand Patch Grade and Cajon Pass are the two American freight routes that keep coming up. Sand Patch Grade took 30 votes in the forum's TSW 2 poll, its store page lists three CSX locomotives and the Cumberland yard for switching, and one Steam reviewer calls it their best add-on so far, followed by Cajon Pass.

Cajon Pass is the longer run at 85 miles. A Steam reviewer recommends it for freight fans in particular and says the climb and descent with mile-long trains will improve your dynamic braking. Fly Away Simulation adds the caution that its services are lengthy, with long stretches of slow climbing or descending, so it suits a patient evening more than a quick session. Its Steam reviews are split, 2 positive out of 5.

For British freight, West Coast Main Line: Crewe - Preston is built around 1986 merry-go-round coal trains between two collieries and Fiddlers Ferry Power Station. Liberec - Stará Paka mixes freight into its timetable with the Class 750 diesel.

West Coast Main Line Trent Valley is the pick for sustained speed. Its store page describes a 108-mile run between Milton Keynes and Crewe on a line modernised for 125mph, and calls it the longest point-to-point UK route in Train Sim World to date. A Steam reviewer says the length and line speeds let the trains stretch their legs.

Southeastern Highspeed pairs the Class 395 with ordinary commuter running, which is why it reads as the all-round choice in the sources we found. Schnellfahrstrecke Köln - Aachen is the German option, on a line the store page lists at up to 250 km/h. Read its reviews first, though: the two most upvoted Steam reviews say the remaster changed the lighting and little else.

Liberec - Stará Paka is the route Steam reviewers describe in terms of looks: one calls the line incredibly beautiful and praises the level of detail on both line and trains. The catch is in the most upvoted negative review, which reports unstable frame rates on high-end hardware, so check your settings headroom before paying $44.99.

Riviera Line runs the Dawlish Sea Wall and the Devon Banks, and one Steam reviewer rates it the best UK route Dovetail has made itself. Niddertalbahn is the quiet answer. Forum voters gave it 77 votes, 45.3%, and describe it as relaxing, close to meditation, with the caveat from other voters that it is slow and can wear thin on repeat runs. Cajon Pass gets a mention here too, for what a Steam reviewer calls gorgeous scenery and interesting vistas.

Check what you already own before buying anything. Train Sim World 6 ships with three routes: Riviera Line, Bahnstrecke Leipzig - Dresden and Morristown Line. Riviera Line is in the table above, so base game owners have one of these 15 already.

• First add-on for most players: Southeastern Highspeed. It is the one route named by the forum poll, the Steam thread and Fly Away Simulation alike.
• If you want period atmosphere: Blackpool Branches, the biggest winner in any of the forum polls with 118 votes in the TSW 4 round.
• If you go by Steam score: Liberec - Stará Paka, then Medway Valley Line, which has 47 positive reviews out of 49.
• If you want the lowest price: Ruhr-Sieg Nord at $24.99. It won the forum's first-generation poll with 50 votes, but a Steam reviewer notes it is a 2019 route of that era's quality.

Two cautions from the sources. Timetable layers are sold separately: several store pages list extra services that only appear if you own other add-ons, so a route can look busier in a video than it will on your install. And a strong forum reputation does not always match the current Steam page. Brighton Main Line took 101 votes, 67.3%, in its poll, yet its Steam summary is Mixed, with one reviewer saying it now needs a remaster.

Not sure Train Sim World is the right train game at all? Our best train games list compares it with the alternatives.